[Hiring] Director of River Restoration @American Rivers

Role Description

The Director of River Restoration for the Mid-Atlantic Region will lead a portfolio of complex, multi-benefit conservation and restoration projects that advance American Rivers’ strategic goals for healthy rivers, resilient communities, clean water, aquatic connectivity, and river protection. The position will be grounded primarily in restoration project delivery, with a focus on dam removal and floodplain restoration, while retaining flexibility to support related Mid-Atlantic conservation priorities such as clean water, river protection, habitat reconnection, and community resilience initiatives as needs and opportunities arise.

This role is intended for a well-experienced project manager who can independently move complex projects from concept through construction and closeout. The Director will be responsible for managing project scopes, budgets, schedules, contracts, consultant teams, engineering and design processes, permitting, landowner and partner coordination, construction-phase implementation, grant compliance, and reporting. The position will require strong judgment, clear communication, acute attention to detail, and the ability to anticipate and resolve issues across technical, financial, regulatory, and relationship dimensions of project delivery.

The Director will work closely with Mid-Atlantic Region staff and national strategy leads to identify, develop, fund, and implement high-impact projects. They will also help strengthen systems for managing a growing regional project portfolio, including consistent approaches to project intake, budgeting, procurement, consultant and contractor oversight, risk management, and donor and grant reporting. The Director will serve as an experienced project delivery lead for the region and a resource to colleagues, partners, and communities working to restore and protect rivers across the Mid-Atlantic.

Qualifications

• Seven or more years of progressively responsible on-the-ground project management experience related to river restoration, dam removal, floodplain restoration, watershed restoration, engineering, construction, environmental consulting, natural resource management, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing complex projects with multiple partners, consultants, contractors, funders, regulatory agencies, and landowners.
• Strong experience with project budgets, schedules, contracts, scopes of work, consultant and contractor oversight, invoice review, grant compliance, and project reporting.
• Experience coordinating or overseeing design, permitting, and construction phases of restoration, infrastructure, engineering, or environmental projects.
• Understanding of effective river restoration approaches, including dam removal, floodplain restoration, stream restoration, aquatic connectivity, water quality improvement, and/or related conservation practices.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate project risks, solve problems, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and keep complex work moving under changing conditions.
• Experience supporting or leading fundraising for projects, including government grants, foundation proposals, major donor materials, project budgets, and funder reports.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical information for landowners, funders, partners, agencies, and community audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build trust with diverse partners, including community members, public agencies, private landowners, engineers, contractors, nonprofit partners, and funders.
• High level of organization, attention to detail, ability to follow instructions, initiative, professional discretion, and independent judgment, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Demonstrated commitment to working with people from different backgrounds and perspectives and to advancing equitable conservation outcomes.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly within the Mid-Atlantic Region, including occasional overnight travel and field/site visits.

Requirements

• Lead and manage a portfolio of complex conservation and restoration projects across the Mid-Atlantic Region, including but not limited to dam removal, floodplain restoration, stream and floodplain reconnection, aquatic connectivity, clean water, and river protection projects.
• Move on-the-ground projects from early concept through feasibility, design, permitting, construction, closeout, monitoring, and long-term stewardship by developing realistic project scopes, schedules, budgets, deliverables, and implementation plans.
• Manage contracts and procurement processes, including developing scopes of work, requests for proposals, consultant and contractor selection, contract negotiation support, invoice review, deliverable tracking, and closeout documentation in coordination with the legal team.
• Coordinate and oversee engineer/design consultants, construction contractors, environmental consultants, surveyors, outside vendors, agency reviewers, and other technical partners to ensure high-quality project delivery.
• Manage project budgets and financial tracking, including cost estimates, cash flow, matching funds, grant budgets, contract expenditures, invoice approvals, budget adjustments, and financial reporting in coordination with finance, development, and program staff.
• Provide construction-phase project management, including coordinating pre-construction planning, contractor mobilization, site meetings, change orders, construction documentation, safety and access considerations, and issue resolution in collaboration with engineers and project partners.
• Support project development by identifying new restoration and conservation opportunities, assessing feasibility and strategic fit, building relationships with landowners and community partners, and advancing projects into the regional queue.
• Participate in project and programmatic fundraising, including developing project narratives, budgets, timelines, donor and foundation materials, grant applications, public funding proposals, and funder reports in collaboration with development and program staff.
• Ensure that projects are designed and implemented to deliver measurable benefits for river health, aquatic habitat, public safety, floodplain function, water quality, climate resilience, recreation, and community priorities.
• Represent American Rivers in technical meetings, partner discussions, public forums, site visits, funder conversations, agency consultations, press events, and conferences with professionalism and sound technical judgment.
• Work collaboratively with Mid-Atlantic staff and American Rivers strategy leads to support Floodplain, Clean Water, and Restoration priorities as needed, ensuring that project delivery supports the organization’s broader strategic plan.
• Help strengthen and support regional project management systems, including project intake, prioritization, project tracking, risk assessment, internal coordination, quality control, documentation, and reporting.
• Provide technical assistance, mentoring, and project management guidance to colleagues, partners, and communities developing dam removal, floodplain restoration, and related river restoration projects.
• Be an active participant in American Rivers’ internal Communities of Practice related to dam removal and floodplain restoration, sharing lessons learned and helping improve organizational standards for project delivery.
• Ensure that all work activities advance American Rivers’ Core Values and help provide a seat at the table for people who have been sidelined from decisions that impact their lives.
• Drive regularly within the Mid-Atlantic Region for project site visits, partner and agency meetings, and construction-phase oversight, including occasional overnight travel. Driving is a core duty of this position.

Benefits

• Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, long-term and short-term disability, and life insurance.
• Financial Security: After one year of service, American Rivers begins contributing a 3% employer contribution. There is no vesting schedule for employer contributions as employees are 100% vested upon participation.
• Time Off: Four weeks of paid leave, eleven paid holidays, three floating holidays, and sick leave.